The Theoretical Alignment of Supplemental Instruction and Developmental Education: When an SI Leader Uses Adult Learning Theory to Underpin Instruction

The purpose of this article is to explore SI's alignment to theories of adult learning and development which are the underpinnings of developmental education. We begin by identifying adult learning and development theories that have influenced the field of developmental education and then examine descriptions of SI in the literature to explore SI's utility as a student support strategy within developmental education contexts. We conclude by providing examples from our own application of SI, including pragmatic tools for helping both instructors and SIL be successful in the classroom. We demonstrate how these SI practices are consistent with adult learning and development research. The tools we describe were developed with a developmental education context in mind but can be applied in any SI context.